Sealing means for vacuum-jackets.



J. L. FATE. SEALING MEANS FOR VACUUM JACKETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1908.

988,324. P11911161 Apr.4, 1911.

JOHN L. FATE, OF CHICAGO,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN INSULATING COMPANY,

A. CORPORATION OF MAINE.

' SEALING MEANS FOR VACUUM-JACKETS.

Be it known that I, JOHN L. F ATE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new andImproved Sealing Means for Vacuum-Jackets, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention has for its object to provide an effective means for sealing vacuum jackets; .and to thls end the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of .devices hereinafter described and defined in -theclaim.

l g The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like references refer to like V1BW S.;

' In said drawings, Figure 1 is a view chiefly in vertical section, but partly in elevation," illustrating a vacuum jacket having my improved sealing means applied thereto,

with the parts shown as they appear when the air is being exhausted from the vacuum chamber and before. the sealing takes place;

.Fig. 2 is a similar view of 'the.jacketwith the sealing means shown as they appear after the air has been exhausted from the vacuum chamber and the sealing effected;

and Fig. 3 is a detail in cross section on the line a a2 of Fig. 1.

In said drawings, the numeral 1 represents a hollow metallic body adapted to afford a vacuum jacket, when the air is exhausted from its interior chamber 2, and

this chamber is suitablysealed. Thejacket 1 is shown as of a form adapted to serve as a'closure to another vacuum jacketed receptacle oflarger size, such, for example, as that disclosed in my Patent No. 844,279, of date February 12,1907. In one wall of said jacket 1 there is seated an exhausting tube or nipple 3, with its lower open end projecting into the chamber 2 of the jacket; and this nipple 3 is shown as provided with a flange 4, which is brazed to the top surface of the jacket wall. thereby rigidly connecting the nipple-to the jacket by an air tight joint near its lower. end. irectly above this Ijoint, the nipple 3 is contracted so as to bring the inner edges of its walls close together, as best shown in Fig. 3. This can e done by compressing the walls of the nipple by any suitable means at this point which will have the effect of flattening out the nipple at this contracted portion there- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1906. Serial No. 818,639.

parts throughout the several Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

of. The nipple is sufliciently contracted at this point to prevent the passage downward therethrough of fusible material 5, which is placed above the same in thejnipple 3. This fusible material 5 may be in-the form of particles of solder many other metal of lower fusibility than the material 'of which the nipple itself is composed,"and this solder,

or other fusible material, is preferably in the form of small shot-like pellets which will permit the air to be exhausted therethrough. The nipple 3, as shown, is provided with a bead or slight outward enlarge- .ment 6 near its upper end and a hose guarding flange 7 located slightly below the bead 6.

The numeral 8 represents a flexible hose connected to an exhausting pump not shown. This ump is of any suitable type adapted to ex aust air from the jacket l but is as sumed to have a cut-off valve or stop cock intermediate its barrel and the hose 8, so

that this valve can be closed to prevent any back flow of air through the hose 8 and nipple 3 to the chamber 2 of the jacket 1 'when the pumping is stopped. Assuming that the air has been exhausted from the chamber 2 of the jacket as full as possible by the action of the pump. t e said cut-ofi' valve at the pump is closed, and there will then be a vacuum on both sides of the fusible material 5 in the nipple 3. Then a blow pipe flame or other means of producing heat is applied below the flange 7 to that portion of the nipple 3 containing the fusible material 5, and this is continued until the said material melts and flows downward and accumulates into a solid mass directly above the contract: ed portion of the nipple 3. The flame of the blow pi e, or other means of a l in heat,

v KP) 8 can easi y be so manipulated t at the fusible material will only receive heat enough to melt at a point above the contracted portion of the nipple and in descending to the most contracted portion thereof will cool sufliciently to lodge at the said point and not flow on downward through this contractcd passage into the chamber 2. After a small portion of the fusible material 5 has thus been lodged at this contracted portion of the nipple, the flame can be freely applied to the higher portion of the nipple containing the greater portion of the fusible material, so as to fully melt the same and let the same accumulate above the now closed passage at the contracted portion of the nipple. lnasinuch'as this is 511 done. in this, way while theyacuum is maintained on both.

"sides of the fusible material, itis, of coarse,

gob

-'.nipplgi'gtintoffthe chamber 2 0 o'us' that there will be no ,opportunity .r' t the air'- ;t-o'ffiow backward through' the" ii'flthe acket;

or,- ot erwise stated, the vacuum}.tobtaified under-the action of the pump wi beher? met-ically sealed by the accumulati .of the fused and solidified sealingiinetadi'i'ectly above the contracted portion-of the nipple. After this has taken place, the pumphose 8 is removed from the outer end of the nipple 3 and the nipple is then sheared or pinched ofi' su'fiiciently far above the. contracted portion 'ofthe nipple and in such a way as to permit the upper end portions of the nipple left remaining withthe jacket, to be drawn I over the body of solidified sealing 'metal within the nipple, as shbwnin Fig. 2 of the drawing.v Then asuitable ard 9 is placed over the projecting end'of-t e sealing nipple. and brazed fastto the walls of the jacket, as shown in Fig. 2 of'thedrawingsThe vacuum jacket is then ready for use. By the means above fully described I have, in practice, beenable to securea much more perfect vacuum in these jackets than I I was ever able to do by any'other means before known to me, for the reason that in all other prior means disclosed in the prior art, so

1 far, as.

known to me, it was possible for the air from theatmosphere to get back into the a from which the airis to be exhausted, of a j tube of suitable material mounted upon a wall of the receptacle, the walls of thesaid u tube being compressed at a oint near the wall of the receptacle, a bea formed upon saidtube near its upper end, a washer mounted upon and secured to said tubebelow the said head, there being an opening through said tube to the interior of the re-,

1C8Ptfl0l6, a quantity of particles of fusible material, in arrangement within the tube to permit the passage of air, which when fused andv solidified" operates to hermetically seal the said opening, a cuprigidly mounted upon said receptacle inclosing said tube to prevent its displacement.

, JOHN FATE. Witnesses:

A; Nelson, H. L. DODSON.

Copies of this patent may lieobtained m five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. v v 

